The nose knows

[atgcpaul]

I've been smelling a shellac/ethanol odor coming from the garage/shop for the past week as I walk to and from my car (parked outside). I haven't been in there except to get lawn equipment which is at the front of the garage and I just bought some DNA which was also towards the front of the shop. The bottle exhibited no leaks but I didn't investigate further. I wish I had.

Well, last night I did have to venture to the back of the shop and found this mess. I was about to start finishing my daughter's dresser and set out the shellac on the counter about the same time I bought the new DNA. Somehow a pinhole leak formed at the bottom of the can and the remaining contents (probably a pint to a quart) leaked out. This is a going to be a fun mess to clean up. I'm wondering if I shouldn't let it harden to salvage the shellac flakes. I could strain it through a paint filter.

[jking]

That really stinks (no pun intended).

[cabinetman]

When you don't ordinarily have a specific chemical aromatic in the shop, something like that really stands out. I had a client that picked up a gallon of solvent base contact cement from a hardware store near his office about mid morning. I get a call from him about 5:00PM that with the afternoon heat, the can he placed on his back seat floor had exploded and the cement was all over the carpet.

He said when he opened his door to leave for the day, the smell about made him pass out. Needless to say he didn't drive it home.

.

[cork58]

I think I would at least get it down to as small as possible pieces. If it is like glue I'd add some alcohol and try to get it back liquid. Now would that be a 1 pound cut, a two pound cut or a 1/2 pound cut?

[wardprobst]

I had that happen with Zinser Bullseye shellac in my safety cabinet, it's a stinking mess! I cleaned it up the best I could with denatured alcohol and paper towels. I saved some the liquid but ended up tossing most of it. I used the saved stuff on non critical jobs.
DP

[downtheroad]

I've had this happen to me twice within a 2 month period. The product was Zinsser's SealCoat in gallon cans. The first time, it was stored on the bottom shelf of a metal shelving unit at work. It only leaked on the shelf and the floor. Bought that can 3 months earlier and had only used 1 quart so 3 quarts leaked out. The second time was in my garage at home with an unopened can stored on the second shelf of a metal shelving unit, but this time, I had a large plastic bin with drills and sanders stored just below. Made a huge mess and I was so mad I had to call Zinsser and complain. They told me they had not heard of this before. If I still had the can, could I send it to them so they could figure out the problem and remedy their packaging. Cost me over $7 to send the empty can back and never heard back from them again except I got 2 coupons in the mail, each for a free quart of SealCoat. This all happened in 2005 and since then I've heard of at least 4 times this has happened to others. So, be warned and be careful where you store your cans of Zinsser shellac products.

[cork58]

I found this information on another site. I always date my shellac and toss after 6 months. I mix it in glass jars and store in plastic squirt bottles.

Liquid shellac is not very stable material. When stored in metal containers for any length of time, it will deteriorate, discolor, and lose its drying qualities. This is especially true of white shellac. The chemicals used in bleaching orange shellac to white affect the drying qualities after the shellac has aged for six to twelve months. Shellac that old should be discarded and not considered for any finishing purposes. Shellac stored in a metal container for a considerable length of time will become discolored due to the chemical actions which take place between the chemicals in the shellac and the metal. Shellac should be purchased in glass containers when it is not to be used immediately, for it will not discolor so readily. Metal containers should be used only when the shellac is to be used immediately.

S.W. Gibbia